World's first 'invisible' tower

The South Korean government has granted approval to begin construction on the world’s first ‘invisible’ tower, just outside of Seoul near the Incheon international airport. 

Designed by US-based GDS Architects, the glass-encased Tower Infinity will top out at 1,476 feet and have the third highest observation deck in the world. The project is backed by the state-owned Korea Land & Housing Corporation.

The ‘invisibility’ illusion will be achieved with a high-tech LED façade system that uses a series of cameras that will send real-time images onto the building’s reflective surface.
Neither the developer nor GDS Architects have indicated a target completion date.  The development will reportedly be used primarily for leisure activities. It will include a seri­es of observation decks, a movie theatre, roller coaster, water park etc.

When completed, the building is expected to come in sixth on the list of the world’s highest towers. Tower Infinity’s invisible face is essentially just state-of-the-art camouflage. Cameras placed at th­ree diffe­r­ent heights on six different si­des of the building will capture real-time images of the surr­o­u­ndings. Three other sections with 500 rows of LED screens each, will project individu­al digital images.Through digi­t­al processing, images will be scaled, rotated and merged to create a seamless panoramic image that appears on the LED rows to create the illusion of invisibility. According to GDS, it will be possible to alter the level of  power used to give the building different levels of invisibility.

In 2011, GDS, along with firms Samoo Archite­cts and A&U, was awarded fi­rst prize in a national design contest sponsored by the Korea Land & Housing Corp­o­ration to provide design and engineeri­ng services for the observation  tower.